In Madison, Beggs Funeral Home - Madison Chapel offers funeral services and funeral pre-need planning, including inflation-protected pre-paid funeral options. The family business opened its doors in 1886 and moved to its present Madison location on NW Orange Avenue in 1953.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Madison County, Florida
How probate works in Madison County: the Clerk of Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Madison County Clerk of Circuit Court
Madison County · 3rd Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
125 Southwest Range Avenue, Madison, FL 32340
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
Required for attorneysE-filing mandatory for attorneys since April 1, 2013. Optional for self-represented parties. Statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal for all circuit courts.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Third Judicial Circuit's resources page links the Florida Probate Rules and its self-help material. Completed forms are filed with the Clerk in the county where the case will be heard or through the E-Filing Portal.
P.O. Box 237
Madison, FL 32341
Fax
1-850-973-2059
Departments
- Probate & Guardianship Department1-850-973-1500 · 125 Southwest Range AvenueEvery department of the Clerk's office is reached through the main number.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Madison County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Madison, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court at 125 Southwest Range Avenue, Madison. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Florida intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Florida estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 3 monthsFla. Stat. §§ 733.2121, 733.702 (later of 3 months from first publication or 30 days from service on a served creditor), 733.703, 733.705, 733.707, 733.710Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Madison County
What probate costs in Madison County, Florida comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court at 125 Southwest Range Avenue, Madison. The court is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
Florida charges $400Fla. Stat. §§ 28.2401(1)(g), (3); 44.108(1)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Florida are based on reasonable compensation — usually hourly billing or a flat fee for the engagement.
Florida sets executor compensation on a statutory schedule that is presumed reasonable — about $15,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.0%Fla. Stat. § 733.617Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Florida requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Fla. Stat. § 733.402Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Florida typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Clerk of Circuit Court
Probate cases in Madison County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Probate & Guardianship Department.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Florida has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Madison County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Clerk of Circuit Court: Verified Petition for Administration drafted to Fla. Prob. R. 5.200 (petitioner interest, decedent data, beneficiaries, venue, § 733.301 priority, will statement, asset value); Original of the decedent's last will and any codicils (deposited with the court within 10 days of knowledge of death, Fla. Stat. § 732.901), in a testate estateFla. Stat. §§ 733.101-733.402 (venue, petition, appointment, letters, bond); Fla. Prob. R. 5.200 (petition), 5.235 (issuance of letters, bond), 5.030 (attorney required)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Madison County
In Florida a death is registered locally, and in Madison County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Florida Department of Health in Madison County as well as by Florida Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Registrar
Madison County · Florida Department of Health in Madison County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
218 Southwest Third Avenue, Madison, FL 32340
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fax
1-850-973-5007
Local rule
- A legible copy of a valid driver license, passport, state-issued ID or military identification card accompanies every request.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
District Medical Examiner
Madison County · District 2 Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
560 Leonard Gray Way, Tallahassee, FL 32304
Website
Serves this county
District 2 Medical Examiner's Office (District 3 (Lafayette, Madison and Suwannee Counties, served by District 2))
Mail and offices
Fax
1-850-606-6601
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Madison County
4 funeral homes and crematories in Madison County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
In Madison, Burns Funeral Home of Madison holds services in a chapel in a historic downtown warehouse overlooking Lake Frances, opened in August 2014. It is one of the Burns funeral homes, with sister homes in Perry and Mayo, which state they provide funeral and cremation services.
In Madison, Cooks & Cooper Funeral Home is a funeral home on Southwest Third Avenue whose staff includes licensed funeral directors and embalmers. Its site sets out who is eligible for military funeral honors and how a family establishes a veteran's eligibility.
In Madison, J.P. Moore Mortuary & Cremation Services provides funeral services for families from its chapel on West Base Street. It serves families in northern Florida with locations in both Madison and Tallahassee.
Funeral homes by city: Madison
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Madison County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for Madison County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 125 Southwest Range Avenue, Madison, FL 32340. Phone: 1-850-973-1500. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $10 for the first page plus $9 for each additional page.
Madison County accepts electronic recording through Hopdox and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Madison County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
125 Southwest Range Avenue, Madison, FL 32340
Website
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $10 |
| Each additional page | $8.5 |
Fla. Stat. 28.24(13), (13)(c), (13)(d), (13)(e); Fla. Stat. 201.02(1)(a)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Madison County
Florida uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Madison County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Florida uses a presumed-reasonable fee schedule for probate attorneys — the percentages are a starting point that can be negotiated, especially for simple estates. Madison County firms typically follow the schedule for routine work and negotiate on complex matters.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Clerk of Circuit Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Live Oak firm in the historic downtown, practicing since 1965 across Suwannee, Madison, Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Taylor, and Dixie counties in the Third Judicial Circuit. The firm belongs to the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar and carries an AV Martindale-Hubbell peer rating.
North Florida firm with offices in Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville, working the Third Judicial Circuit -- Suwannee, Columbia, Lafayette, Hamilton, Madison, Taylor, and Dixie counties. Handles probate, wills and estates, guardianship, and family law. Serving clients since 2007.
A probate litigation attorney firm in Gainesville serving most of Florida (excluding Broward and Miami-Dade counties). Guides families through Florida's probate process with exclusive focus on estates and trusts. McCabe G. Harrison has an L.L.M. in taxation and expertise in financial and tax aspects.
Gainesville firm handling probate in every Florida county on a flat fee, with an Ocala office and a fully remote administration process. Founding partner R. Nadine David advised Florida circuit court probate judges as a probate court staff attorney before entering private practice in 2014. Handles formal and summary administration, trust administration, and estate litigation.
Bradenton firm on State Road 70 East serving Manatee and Sarasota families, and accepting probate cases in any Florida county. Guides personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration, and handles estate planning, wills, trusts, and elder law as a National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys member. Rodney D. Gerling and Dana Laganella Gerling founded the firm in 2004.
Fort Lauderdale two-attorney firm in which both partners hold Florida Bar board certification: David Shulman in Wills, Trusts and Estates and Jill Ginsberg in Elder Law. Handles probate and trust administration for Broward and Palm Beach fiduciaries, plus guardianship — including emergency temporary guardianship — estate planning, and asset protection. Takes probate matters anywhere in Florida.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(8)·
- Fla. Stat. § 733.617
- Fla. Stat. §§ 28.2401(1)(g), (3); 44.108(1)
- Fla. Stat. §§ 733.101-733.402 (venue, petition, appointment, letters, bond); Fla. Prob. R. 5.200 (petition), 5.235 (issuance of letters, bond), 5.030 (attorney required)
- Fla. Stat. §§ 733.2121, 733.702 (later of 3 months from first publication or 30 days from service on a served creditor), 733.703, 733.705, 733.707, 733.710
- Fla. Stat. 28.24(13), (13)(c), (13)(d), (13)(e); Fla. Stat. 201.02(1)(a)
- Madison Clerk of Circuit Court, official page
- Madison County Clerk of the Circuit Court, official page
- Madison County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Florida statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Florida
Free tools for settling an estate in Florida: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Florida.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Florida: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysFla. Prob. R. 5.340; Fla. Stat. § 733.604Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsFla. Stat. §§ 733.2121, 733.702 (later of 3 months from first publication or 30 days from service on a served creditor), 733.703, 733.705, 733.707, 733.710Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Florida happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeFla. Stat. § 736.0101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysFla. Stat. §§ 736.0813, 736.1008, 736.10081Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Florida has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Get the Answer
Hire a Florida Probate Attorney
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